Mad Game : The NBA Education of Kobe Bryant

by Roland Lazenby

When Kobe Bryant joined the glitzy Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 right out of high school, he faced a wave of media hype that declared him the next Michael Jordan. Now a veteran of five NBA seasons at the age of 23, Bryant has earned a place among pro basketball’s elite. Mad Game documents his hard lessons on the road to stardom, his rapid rise through the NBA, and his conflicts with—and, at times, alienation from—his teammates, including his on-and-off-again relationship with Shaquille O’Neal. This is a story of triumph, of an unusually gifted young athlete trying to remain true to himself and his game.

Genres: Sports, Basketball, Biography, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 1999

About the author

Roland Lazenby is an American sportswriter and educator.

Lazenby has written more than five dozen nonfiction books, mainly about basketball and American football. He has also contributed articles to magazines and newspapers.

Lazenby's book Bull Run! was named Sports Book of the Year for 1997 by the Independent Publishers Association.

Lazenby studied at Virginia Military Institute and Hollins University, and has been a member of Virginia Tech's Department of Communication and Radford University's School of Communication. A group of students from his media writing class compiled the book April 16th: Virginia Tech Remembers (2007), an account of the Virginia Tech massacre. Lazenby served as editor.

In 2005, Lazenby and Andrew Mager created Planet Blacksburg, a student organization that focuses on new media, journalism, and publishing.

Reviews

[Miles Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reading experience of this book was optimal. I read this book because personally, I’m a huge laker fan. I can’t get enough of anything that has to do with the team. When you add inside information of one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, I had to pick this book up. When I started reading this book I had high expectations after reading some of Lazenby’s other pieces, and this book loved up to any expectation I had. A personal connection I had to this book is the front cover. My father Michael Stewart is pictured trying to block Kobe on the cover of this book. That’s one of my favorite pictures of my dad from when he played in the league. A constant theme I saw in this book was work ethic, it is simply amazing how much work this man put in to become great. Lazenby says that Kobe never went out and partied with the team or did anything of that nature, he stayed to himself and worked on his craft. This is why Kobe struggled with team chemistry early on. I think Lazenby made this a theme of the book because at the time people didnt really know how much work Kobe really put in. I recommend this book to any sports fan especially Laker fanatics like myself.

[Marcus Williford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great because first of all I love Kobe Bryant.It also told me a lot about Kobe life and how hard it was for him to make it to the nba. Kobe dad was also in the nba.To me thats exciting because if your dad made it to the nba and you did to thats like a good accomplishment. It also told you how KObe didnt di si good his first couple games in the nba.But eventually he got better.The last thing I love about this book is how they told me about how Kobe would go down in history for his amazing basketball skills.

[Jeff Wait · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super neat time capsule for those who followed Kobe’s career. This one focuses on the years before Phil Jackson came over (so before Kobe won anything). Lazenby always does great research and he’s phenomenal at turning it into a compelling narrative.

[Khalise]

it was decent

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book at a book sale, last week. Couldn't put it down. Being a Laker fan, it seemed natural to wanting to read about Kobe. With Kobe's Achilles tear, last season I wondered if this would be last time I would see such an athlete perform.

Living in So Cal watching Magic/ Kareem Showtime, then having gone through the Shaq/ Kobe era, and then Kobe/ Gasol Lakers, one gets spoiled. Feels like dark storms are headed to Lakertown under the Jim Bass stewardship. Phil's President of the NY Nicks, West is leading Golden State, and the premier basketball team of Los Angeles, is across the hall at the Staple Center.

Reading Kobe's early days, brings a sense of nostalgia. I blistered this book. Finished this one sooner than most biographies. What can I say, Bryant is phenom. Kobe is in his twilight. After his recent achilles surgery, Laker fans like me does not want accept the fact his days may be numbered. With superhuman recovery, I understand a little why Kobe is driven so. He may or may not win another NBA Championship again, but after reading this book, I have grown to appreciate his story more.

[Mario Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!!! It may look like this book is all about Kobe, but it wasn't. It was a book that covered what happened to Kobe from a reporters point of view. There are also chapters that go over Lakers history, Jerry West, Phil Jackson, Tex Winter, and M.J. I never knew how much Shaq hated Kobe and what Kobe had to go through in his early years. Now I just need to find a book like this but about Shaq to get both points of view.

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like this book.It is about a superstar named Kobe.Kobe was expected to be the next Micheal Jordan.In the book it talks abut Kobe`s struggles as well.One example is his on and off relationship with the Lakers` center Shaquille O`Neal.But when they won a couple championships together It really didn`t matter no more, just a professional relationship.

[RK Byers · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was kinda stupid. i only read it cause i had to do a review on it.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book tells alot